RIP Kalashnikov: 20 facts you may not have known about AK-47 and its creator — RT News Tags Arms , Military , Russia 1. Mikhail Kalashnikov, who was a tank commander during World War II, began his career as a weapons designer after a shoulder injury during the Battle of Bryansk. While in hospital in 1942, he overheard wounded soldiers complaining about Soviet rifles and decided to change that. 2. The first Kalashnikov rifle was produced in 1947, bringing its creator the Stalin Prize and the Order of the Red Star. The AK-47 has been the standard issue assault rifle of the Soviet and then Russian army since 1949. 3. Durability, low production cost, availability and ease of use are the features, which assured AK-47 global success. Kalashnikov’s creation performs in sandy or wet conditions that jam more sophisticated weapons. The designer called it a “symbol of the creative genius” of the Russian people. 4.

The AK-47 has made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the most widely spread weapon in the world, with 100 million Kalashnikov rifles currently in use. 5. Military and special forces in 106 countries around the globe from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe are now armed with AK-47s. 6. Russia not only distributes the Kalashnikov rifles all over the world, but also licensed its production in over 30 other countries, including China, Israel, India, Egypt and Nigeria. 7. It is believed that AK-47s have caused more deaths than artillery fire, airstrikes and rocket attacks combined. An estimated quarter of a million people are gunned down by bullets from Kalashnikovs every year. 8. But Mikhail Kalashnikov himself never experienced self-reproach about the blood spilled with the help of his invention as he created AK-47 for protection. “I sleep well. It’s the politicians, who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence,” he said in 2007. 9. Relative cheapness has always been one of the most important advantages of AK-47.

The average global price of the assault rifle was estimated at $534 in 2005, according to Oxford University economist Phillip Killicoat. Though in African countries the price of AK-47 is on average $200 cheaper. 10. Osama bin Laden always had a Kalashnikov rifle with him during his video appearances. According to some reports, it was the US, which gave the Al Qaeda founder his first AK-47 to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. 11. During the Vietnam War, many American soldiers gave up their M16s for the more reliable Kalashnikov rifles, which they picked up from dead enemies. Even now, the US marines carry AK-47 magazines with them because of how common the weapon is. 12. The image of AK-47 appears on the flag of Mozambique as well as coats of arms of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso (1984-97) and East Timor. The Kalashnikov rifle is also present on the flag of Lebanese militant organization, Hezbollah. 13.

The parents in some African states name their babies ‘Kalash,’ which is another nickname for the Kalashnikov assault rifle, according to a documentary by Russia’s Channel One. 14. Russia’s top basketball player, Andrey Kirilenko, born in the city of Izhevsk, which hosts the Kalashnikov rifle factory, has played under No.47 in the NBA and was nicknamed ‘AK-47.’ 15. Egypt has immortalized the AK-47 by erecting a giant monument, portraying a barrel and bayonet of a Kalashnikov rifle at the Sinai Peninsula. 16. A gold coated Kalashnikov assault rifle was recovered by US troops from the weapon collection of former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. 17. Coins dedicated to Mikhail Kalashnikov and his creation were issued not only in Russia, but also in such a peaceful place as New Zealand, which marked the rifle’s 60th birthday with special two-dollar pieces. They came in cases shaped after the AK-47 magazine. 18. French newspaper, Liberation, has named AK-47 the most important invention of the XX century, with the Russian rifle leaving the atomic bomb and space flight behind. 19.

Mixing vodka, absinth, lemon, cinnamon and sugar is the recipe for the Kalashnikov shot drink. There’s also a Kalashnikov vodka brand, which has been sold in bottles resembling the shape of an AK-47 since 2004. 20. Colombian artist, Cesar Lopez, has transformed a dozen of AK-47s into guitars, with then UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan, getting one of the musical instruments as a gift in 2007. Kalashnikov's Uncomfortable Legacy Kalashnikov's Uncomfortable Legacy Last Updated: December 24, 2013 Coilin O'Connor When he was young, Kalashnikov dreamed of being a poet. Share See comments Mikhail Kalashnikov, who has died aged 94 in Izhevsk, will forever be associated with one of the world's most iconic -- and controversial -- weapons.

When his AK-47, or "Kalashnikov," assault rifle first went into production more than six decades ago, it is unlikely that he envisaged it would not only become the standard-issue firearm for Soviet forces but also become the weapon of choice for countless guerrilla fighters, terrorists, and even criminals around the globe. Kalashnikov was one of 19 children born to a poor peasant family in Russia's southern Altai region, in 1919, just a couple of years after the Bolshevik Revolution. In his youth he dreamed of becoming a poet. He actually wrote poetry his entire life and also published six books, but it was his talent as a self-taught designer that was to make his name. "There are many bad poets out there without me," he told reporters in 2009. "I went along a different path." Red Army Soldier The path Kalashnikov was ultimately to follow in life began when he was drafted into the Red Army in 1938. He became a tank driver and mechanic, rising to the rank of tank commander by the time he was wounded in combat during World War II in October 1941.

It was while he was recuperating in hospital that Kalashnikov reportedly heard some other soldiers complaining about the unreliable nature of Soviet Army rifles. Kalashnikov's own frustrating experience with standard-issue weaponry prompted him to try his hand at designing a submachine gun. Although the first blueprint that he submitted for a new weapon failed to convince his superiors, his talent as a designer was noted and he was reassigned to firearms development by the army's artillery directorate in 1942. He adapted his work to enter an assault-rifle design competition in 1946, and by the following year his winning entry had become the prototype for the "Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947" (AK-47), which was to ensure its creator's place in history. Within two years, the AK-47 was being used by the Soviet Army, and it became the military's standard-issue rifle in 1956. Its durability, reliability, and the ease with which it could be used under various conditions ensured that it quickly became a staple of practically every theater of operations during the Cold War. The Kalashnikov has become ubiquitous throughout the world.

The huge role it played in many Soviet-supported guerrilla insurgencies, such as the Vietnam War, ensured that it became a counterculture icon, with perhaps only Alberto Korda's famous photo of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara carrying greater resonance. The AK-47 was even incorporated into the national flag of Mozambique in homage to the crucial role the weapon played in that country's liberation movement. But if the Kalashnikov's efficiency and reliability has been its great strength as a weapon, it has also become a cheap and easily available form of lethal force, with some saying that the AK-47 has been responsible for more deaths than the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. More than 60 years after it first went into production, it is estimated that there are as many as 100 million AK-47s now in circulation around the world. Uncomfortable Legacy It has moved from the battlefield to become ubiquitous in other settings -- a weapon favored by the likes of Mexican drug cartels and Islamic extremists.

"In some places, an AK-47 assault rifle can be bought for as little as $15, or even for a bag of grain," former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in 2001. "They are easy to use; with minimal training, even a child can wield one. They are easy to conceal and transport. Since they require little maintenance, they can last for decades." It is a legacy that Kalashnikov admitted made him uncomfortable. "When I see [Al-Qaeda leader Osama] bin Laden with his AK-47, I get nervous," he told Reuters in 2002. "But what can I do? Terrorists aren't fools; they, too, chose the most reliable guns." He denied any culpability for the fact that his weapon may often have ended up in the wrong hands. "I created a weapon to be used for the protection of the borders of my Fatherland. It is not my fault that [my gun] is being used where it is not supposed to be used," he said.

Kalashnikov also said that he would have "preferred to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work, such as a lawnmower." Nonetheless, Kalashnikov often reacted with prickly defiance when asked about the numbers of people killed by the weapon he invented. "[People ask sometimes,] 'How do you sleep knowing that so many people have died because of your weapon?' It's not the designer who is to blame, but politicians who cannot agree by peaceful means so that the weapon is never used." In 1949, Kalashnikov moved to Izhevsk, the capital city of the Ural Republic of Udmurtia where, as chief designer, he oversaw the production of the AK-47 as well as its subsequent modifications and other small arms for several decades. Kalashnikov received many Soviet accolades, including three Order of Lenin awards. He was also promoted to the rank of major general on his 75th birthday and was named a "Hero of the Russian Federation" by President Dmitry Medvedev on his 90th birthday.

He claimed never to have made any money from designing the AK-47 and ended his days living off a state pension and some merchandising income that he received by allowing the Kalashnikov name to be used for other products such as vodka, umbrellas, and knives. His wife, Yekaterina, who was also a technician and designer, predeceased him in 1977. He is survived by his son, Viktor, and his daughters, Nelly and Elena. A third daughter, Natasha, died in 1983. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials sent condolences to Kalashnikov's family after news of his death. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called it "an irreparable loss for our entire country," while Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called Kalashnikov a "vivid example of selfless service to the Fatherland." The press service of the Republic of Udmurtia announced on December 24 that Kalashnikov would be buried on December 27 at the Military Memorial Complex and cemetery just outside of Moscow. Memorial ceremonies to honor Kalashnikov were also scheduled to be held in Izhevsk on December 25 and 26.

Related Mozambique This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Mozambique (no) Naval Ensign Flag of Mozambique The official explanation from the Constitution of Mozambique as reported in "Constitutions - what they tell us about flags and coats of arms" by Jos Poels and Pascal Vagnat (2000) is as follows: Part IV of the Constitution of the Republic Mozambique (adopted on 02 November 1990) deals with Symbols, Currency and Capital of the Republic. Article 193 deals with the national flag : "The national flag shall have five colours: red, green, black, gold and white. The significance of the colours shall be as follows: red - the centuries of resistance to colonialism, the armed national liberation struggle, and the defence of sovereignty; green - the riches of the soil; black - the African continent; gold - the riches of the subsoil; white - the justice of the struggle of the Mozambican people, and peace. From top to bottom, there shall be green, black and gold horizontal stripes, separated by stripes of white.

On the left side, there shall be a red triangle, in the centre of which there shall be a gold star. Above this there shall be a crossed hoe and gun, superimposed upon a book. The star shall symbolise the spirit of international solidarity of the Mozambican people. The book, hoe and gun shall symbolise study, production and defence". image by Željko Heimer, 01 Jul 2002 It is commonly accepted that the gun refers to an AK-47, used by Frelimo during the liberation struggle. The pantone colour codes for the flag are : Red - 185c Article 194 deals with the Coat of Arms : "The emblem of the Republic of Mozambique shall contain as its central elements a book, a gun and a hoe, superimposed on a map of Mozambique, representing respectively education, defence and vigilance and peasantry and agricultural production. Below the map the ocean shall be represented. In the centre shall be the rising sun, symbol of the building of a new life. Enclosing all this shall be a toothed wheel, symbolising labour and industry.

Surrounding the toothed wheel there shall be, to the right and left respectively, an ear of maize and a piece of sugar cane, symbolising agricultural wealth. At the bottom there shall be a red scroll with the inscription 'Republic of Mozambique'." Bruce Berry, 02 Nov 2006 The current flag: a vertical triband of green, black and yellow with white fimbriations on either side of the black stripe, and a Red triangle at the hoist extended to about 3/7 of the width, charged with a centered yellow star bearing the country's lesser arms: a rifle and a hoe crossed saltire over an open book, all in proper colors. This flag, in 2:3 format, was adopted on 01 May 1983 and has a close resemblance to the former FRELIMO flag. Antonio Martins, 21 Sep 1997 image by �eljko Heimer, 03 Jul 2002 National Flag. CSW/CSW 2:3 I'll jump over description directly to the construction details given in Album : (10+1+10+1+10):(21+27).

This image has smaller emblem in the triangle then the one in Album, where it seems somewhat like inscribed in a circle of 13 units or so (meaning the diameter of the circle circumscribing the star). This flag superseded not only the national flag of 1975, but also the red war flag . And now the notes. Graham Bartram has the flag in ratio 5:8, while Album 2000 has it as 2:3. [ vdv00 ] agrees with Album. I guess that 5:8 might be a "relict" from previous flag, which is in [ smi82 ] given as ratio 5:8~. Following the construction details given in Album for the width of stripes, I have gained a flag image that has white fimbriations considerably thinner then I was expecting to. unless I have messed up something, it seems that no vexillological book has the fimbriations as thin as 1/10 of stripes. It's hard to measure such small sizes in Album 2000, but even there the white stripes seem to be wider then 1/10 of the, say, black stripe.

Željko Heimer, 01 Jul 2002 At the Mozambique embassy in Lisbon (Portugal) one can clearly see the lower stripe in regular yellow, almost without contrast with the nearby white stripe. António MARTINS-Tuválkin, 30 Nov 2003 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual, London, 2012 [ loc12 ]) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each National Olympic Committee was sent an image of their flag, including the PMS shades, by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for their approval. Once this was obtained, the LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specifications may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the National Olympic Committee believed their flag to be. For Mozambique : PMS 355 green, 185 red, 109 yellow and black. The vertical flag is simply the horizontal version turned 90 degrees clockwise.

Ian Sumner, 10 Oct 2012 Symbolism of the flag This is an article from today's New York Times about discussions in Mozambique concerning retaining or eliminating the gun on the national flag. Maputo Journal: Symbols Are Important. So What Does a Gun Symbolize? By MICHAEL WINES Mozambique is holding a competition to redesign its flag and national emblem, which date from the civil-war days. Albert S Kirsch, 07 Oct 2005 From the article: "Critics of the symbols have no complaint about the book, the stripes, the corn or the hoe. But to Renamo's supporters, who were virulent reactionaries during their counter revolutionary past, the gun and star hark back too painfully to Frelimo's own days as a party of revolutionary Marxists." Well, as a vexillologist, *I* have an issue with any tiny pictures. But is it true they have no objection to the stripes? I thought those were the party colors. "Frelimo advocates say the critics are overreaching.

The Kalashnikov, they say, is but a coincidentally Russian symbol of Mozambicans' determination to defend their land; the star merely signifies solidarity with Africans. (The horizontal black stripe is supposed to symbolize Africa, too.)" A solution: Change it to an M-16! "If Mozambique's single star were to symbolize Communism, Joaquim Chissano, the nation's president for 19 years, said, the Stars and Stripes would place the United States among the world's most leftist nations." I completely disagree with his point, but this is one of the funniest flag-related things I've ever seen. "If it goes to a vote, it's obvious that Frelimo will smash Renamo, and the symbols will remain the same. But for the sake of democracy, they're saying, 'Let's vote.' " Well, for the sake of democracy, then, maybe they better put off a vote for a while. Just my two cents.

Nathan Lamn, 07 Oct 2005 The Mozambique star is yellow (on a red field), which is another recognized "communist star" colour (see USSR, China, Vietnam) David Kendall, 08 Oct 2005 Coat of Arms Mikhail Kalashnikov Dies : 20 facts you may not have known about AK 47 and its creator - YouTube Mikhail Kalashnikov Dies : 20 facts you may not have known about AK 47 and its creator Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Dec 23, 2013 Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of Russian assault rifle, dies. Fail-safe, simple to use and cheap to produce -- the world's most popular weapon, AK-47, will long remain a monument to its late 'father,' Mikhail Kalashnikov, who died in Russia on Monday aged 94. 1.

Mikhail Kalashnikov, who was a tank commander during World War II, began his career as a weapons designer after a shoulder injury during the Battle of Bryansk. While in hospital in 1942, he overheard wounded soldiers complaining about Soviet rifles and decided to change that. 2. The first Kalashnikov rifle was produced in 1947, bringing its creator the Stalin Prize and the Order of the Red Star. The AK-47 has been the standard issue assault rifle of the Soviet and then Russian army since 1949. 3. Durability, low production cost, availability and ease of use are the features, which assured AK-47 global success. Kalashnikov's creation performs in sandy or wet conditions that jam more sophisticated weapons. The designer called it a "symbol of the creative genius" of the Russian people. 4. The AK-47 has made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the most widely spread weapon in the world, with 100 million Kalashnikov rifles currently in use. 5. Military and special forces in 106 countries around the globe from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe are now armed with AK-47s. 6.

Russia not only distributes the Kalashnikov rifles all over the world, but also licensed its production in over 30 other countries, including China, Israel, India, Egypt and Nigeria. 7. It is believed that AK-47s have caused more deaths than artillery fire, airstrikes and rocket attacks combined. An estimated quarter of a million people are gunned down by bullets from Kalashnikovs every year. 8. But Mikhail Kalashnikov himself never experienced self-reproach about the blood spilled with the help of his invention as he created AK-47 for protection. "I sleep well. It's the politicians, who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence," he said in 2007. 9. Relative cheapness has always been one of the most important advantages of AK-47. The average global price of the assault rifle was estimated at $534 in 2005, according to Oxford University economist Phillip Killicoat. Though in African countries the price of AK-47 is on average $200 cheaper. 10. Osama bin Laden always had a Kalashnikov rifle with him during his video appearances.

According to some reports, it was the US, which gave the Al Qaeda founder his first AK-47 to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. 11. During the Vietnam War, many American soldiers gave up their M16s for the more reliable Kalashnikov rifles, which they picked up from dead enemies. Even now, the US marines carry AK-47 magazines with them because of how common the weapon is. 12. The image of AK-47 appears on the flag of Mozambique as well as coats of arms of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso (1984-97) and East Timor. The Kalashnikov rifle is also present on the flag of Lebanese militant organization, Hezbollah. 13. The parents in some African states name their babies 'Kalash,' which is another nickname for the Kalashnikov assault rifle, according to a documentary by Russia's Channel One. 14. Russia's top basketball player, Andrey Kirilenko, born in the city of Izhevsk, which hosts the Kalashnikov rifle factory, has played under No.47 in the NBA and was nicknamed 'AK-47.' 15.

Egypt has immortalized the AK-47 by erecting a giant monument, portraying a barrel and bayonet of a Kalashnikov rifle at the Sinai Peninsula. 16. A gold coated Kalashnikov assault rifle was recovered by US troops from the weapon collection of former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. 17. Coins dedicated to Mikhail Kalashnikov and his creation were issued not only in Russia, but also in such a peaceful place as New Zealand, which marked the rifle's 60th birthday with special two-dollar pieces. They came in cases shaped after the AK-47 magazine. 18. French newspaper, Liberation, has named AK-47 the most important invention of the XX century, with the Russian rifle leaving the atomic bomb and space flight behind. 19. Mixing vodka, absinth, lemon, cinnamon and sugar is the recipe for the Kalashnikov shot drink. There's also a Kalashnikov vodka brand, which has been sold in bottles resembling the shape of an AK-47 since 2004. 20.

Colombian artist, Cesar Lopez, has transformed a dozen of AK-47s into guitars, with then UN General Secretary, Kofi Annan, getting one of the musical instruments as a gift in 2007. (rt.com) The Back Story of the World's Most Famous Gun 0 COMMENT AK47 – The Back Story of the World’s Most Famous Gun The AK-47 from its Baptism of Fire in Budapest to its Iconic Status, Myths and Misconceptions. Today the AK-47 is arguably the most recognizable small arm in the world. In excess of 75 million AK-47s were produced, and weapons in the Kalashnikov-family that is based on the AK-47 exceed 100 million worldwide. Few weapons in the history of mankind have had such a lasting impact. According to a World Bank Policy research paper, published in 2010, of the estimated 500 million firearms in the world, more than one fifth were based on the weapon designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov .

A view of the classic AK-47 courtesy of kalashnikov.hu/ The firearm became an icon of the Soviet Union but also of insurgents around the world. Its low production cost –coupled with its ease of manufacture – made it easy for vast numbers of the AK-47 to be practically given away to revolutionary movements during the Cold War. It became such a symbol of world-wide revolution that it was on the Coat of Arms of East Timor and on the flag of Mozambique. Since the end of the Cold War the AK-47 brand – as well as its inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov’s name – was used on a variety of products, most notably vodka, including an AK-47-branded version that had the bottle shaped like the familiar assault rifle. Budapest4 A period photo of Hungarians with what could be the first captured AK-47 during the 1956 uprising (Photo: kalashnikov.hu/) The story of the Russian tank technician, who went on to develop the Avtomat Kalashnikova – the AK-47 – has been widely told.

What is often forgotten is that for years this Soviet assault rifle, which was notable for its ruggedness, was far more advanced than anything used by the western powers until the 1960s. Throughout the 1950s the United States relied on the same small arms that had won World War II, and it wasn’t until the 1960s that the M14 and later M16 finally were introduced. Yet, one misconception about the AK-47 is in its history and development. For years Kalashnikov had suggested that he wasn’t influenced by the German StG-44/MP-44 assault rifle. However, there is no denying that Hugo Schmeisser – who was responsible for the StG-44 – was forced to work for the Red Army, and likely had some role in the AK-47’s development. In fact, in recent years it has been speculated that Kalashnikov considered the best elements of the American M1 and the StG-44. So while his design was revolutionary, it was also somewhat evolutionary.

RIA1 The Rock Island Arsenal collection includes numerous StG44 assault rifles (top three weapons), which can be seen in comparison to the AK-47 (bottom three weapons) Budapest and its Baptism of Fire The Red Army officially adopted the AK-47 in 1949, but in those early days of the Cold War there wasn’t the 24/7 news cycle and information only trickled out of the Soviet Union. Because of the early production issues, which included a complex milling process to make each receiver, adoption of the assault rifle was also likely slow. Contemporary evidence suggests that the AK-47 was not used in the Korean War, but the SKS semi-automatic rifle did play a significant role. That weapon was developed at the tail end of World War II by noted Soviet arms designer Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov, and while it arrived too late to be used against Nazi Germany the world found the impact of its 7.62x39mm round in the Korean War. That same cartridge was used in the AK-47.

Budapest1 The Budapest Military Museum offers a full-room of exhibits devoted to the 1956 uprising against Soviet rule –such a display wouldn’t have been possible until the end of the Cold War. The AK-47 may have been used in the short-lived People’s Uprising in East Germany, which occurred on June 16-17, 1953. There are few period photos of the brief event, and it should be noted that at the time the East German Volkspolizei – the paramilitary forerunners of the Nationale Volksarmee, the East German army – were equipped with StG44, so it is possible that accounts of the AK-47s use were misunderstandings. This fact is important to note because even during the era of the Warsaw Pact the East German military was considered the most reliable yet least trusted by their Soviet overlords, so it would have been unlikely that any of the Volkspolizei would have been provided with the latest Soviet hardware. Budapest3 A display of Soviet small arms that were used by the Hungarian military during its time as a Warsaw Pact member state at the Budapest Military Museum.

Among the items in this collection include an early AK-47 with milled receiver. Instead the AK-47 likely met its baptism of fire in the streets of Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. That nationwide revolt was against the Hungarian People’s Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies, and it began as a student demonstration that attracted thousands to march on the capital’s Parliament building. After a student was killed when State Security Police fired on the gathering turned into a full-blown revolution that spread across the country. Thousands organized into militias and in the fighting that ensued the first Communist Bloc almost fell –except that the Soviet force invaded and ensured that the Central European nation would remain under Communist rule. What began on October 23 finally ended on November 10 – and it cost the lives of some 2,500 Hungarians on both sides, as well as 700 Soviet troops. In the fighting Western observers spotted the rumored new assault rifle of Soviet design and origin. The AK-47 was introduced to the world at this time. The Soviet Red Army, which helped squelch the uprising was armed with this weapon – but it would end up being used against them as well.

“The AK-47 was only used by the Soviet Red Army during the conflict, but it was not issued in the Hungarian People’s Army,” explains Máté Balogh, museum educator at the Hadtörténeti Múzeum (Military Museum) in Budapest. “So if a revolutionist got one it can only mean that he or she acquired it from a killed or surrendered Soviet soldier. Budapest2 Soviet Red Army uniforms from the time of the 1956 uprising in Hungary at the Budapest Military Museum – these show that the standard small arm of the Soviets was the AK-47. As soon as actual fighting broke out the Hungarian rebels utilized whatever weapons they could find and/or capture. The rebellion was quick to improvise and this is noted by the fact that china plates were laid on the streets as a means to trick tank crews into thinking that they were land mines. Commonly captured weapons included Mosin Nagant rifles, which were still the primary weapon of the distrusted Hungarian military, and PPSh-41 submachineguns. The latter were ikely captured from Hungarian forces.

Other weapons reportedly used in the uprising included notable small arms such as SKS rifles, DP-28 light machine guns and even American-made BAR rifles, which were actually in use by the Hungarian military in small numbers. “The role of the AK-47 in Budapest in 1956 in the street fights was marginal, the success was not dependent on it,” said Szoeroes Zoltan, who runs a Hungarian website devoted to the history of the AK-47. RIA2 A close up view of an AK-47 with a stamped receiver at the Rock Island Arsenal. Widespread adoption of the AK-47 was slowed in the 1950s due to problems with the earliest stamped receivers. “It could make adifference theoretically, because the PPSh-41 cannot hit that brick wall that could be hit by AK-47, and those brick walls were very common in Budapest inthose years,” added Zoltan. Ironically the weapon that was so widely used in revolutions to follow was to be wielded by anti-Communist, anti-Soviet revolutionaries! Period photos show that revolutionaries, including the dapper József Tibor Fejes carrying the AK-47.

Fejes, just 22-years old at the time, would be described as a “hipster” for his bowler hat and dark suit were he alive today – and he fitting earned the moniker “Keménykalapos,” the man in the hat. The dapper looking József Tibor Fejes in Budapest with a captured AK-47 (Photo: kalashnikov.hu/) Author C.J. Chivers, who chronicled the history of the AK-47 in his book The Gun , noted about Fejes carrying an AK-47: “He did so before Fidel Castro, before Yasser Arafat, before Idi Amin. He was years ahead of the flag of Zimbabwe, which would expropriate the AK-47 as a symbol. He was ahead of Shamil Basayev and Osama bin Laden, who would convert the product of an atheist state into a sign of unsparing jihad.

József Tibor Fejes was the first of the world’s Kalashnikov-toting characters, a member of a pantheon’s inaugural class.” While Fejes and other leaders carried captured AK-47s, these may have been carried more for symbolic reasons than to contribute any actual effort to the cause. The Soviets greater numbers, better tactics, organization and training won out. “A few of them were used by local leaders of the rebellion as a status symbol, and of course used as long they had ammo for it, but not so long,” explained Zoltan. “Even the fights were only for few days. Of course that was the first time the AK-47 was used in fight – and on both sides. But this was only symbolic, like a real life test.” The West may have gotten its first glimpse of the AK-47 but it would be another six years until western military planners were reportedly able to obtain one. The first recorded example of the rifle being captured was when Dutch soldiers surprised an Indonesian Special Forces team in Western New Guinea.

The AK-47 in Popular Culture The other irony of the AK-47 is that while it is now iconic in movies, TV shows and video games it wasn’t until the 1980s that the weapon found its way into western popular culture. The reason is simple enough; there was no official commercial export of AK-47s during the Cold War. Thus U.S. soldiers may have encountered the AK-47 in Vietnam but the earliest movies about the war didn’t feature the weapon. In the 1968 film The Green Berets, which was among the very first movies to chronicle the war, there is not a single AK-47 to be seen. AK-47-Vietnam A Vietnam War era AK-47 with milled receiver and wooden pistol grip. The AK-47 proved durable in Vietnam and countless other insurgencies around the world throughout the Cold War (Photo: Author’s Collection) The AK-47 had already received its close-up, just not in any western film.

The weapon was first seen in film in the 1955 Soviet film Maksim Perepelitsa, a comedy of all things about a young man who is drafted into the Red Army. The AK-47 was also seen in use in the East German war film Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt (The Adventures of Werner Holt), which was set at the end of the war on the Russian front. Several Soviet soldiers are seen carrying AK-47s, which is an anachronism as it wasn’t invented during the movies 1944-45 timeframe. The first “western” film to feature an AK-47 was in the 1977 Israeli-made Operation Thunderbolt, which told the story of the raid by Israeli commandos at Entebbe Airport in Uganda to free a hijacked aircraft. In the film several Ugandan soldiers as well as a couple of the terrorists are armed with AK-47s.

It should be noted that this was also the first of three films/TV movies to be made about the successful rescue mission, and the only one to correctly feature AK-47s, which were certainly carried by the Ugandan Army and which may have been used by at least one terrorist! The 1978 film The Fury, not a war film but a supernatural thriller starring Kirk Douglas, is likely the first American-made production to feature a Kalashnikov. The AK-47 – or at least Norinco Type 56 Chinese-produced clone of the AK-47 – made its big screen war movie debut in the 1978 film The Deer Hunter. The Type 56 would be used as the generic AK in several other Vietnam War based films including Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Apocalypse Now, 1983’s Uncommon Valor, and 1986’s Platoon, among others. The AKM, an improved version of the AK-47 – which featured a stamped receiver instead of the milled version –has also been used in a number of movies.

It was featured in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy – the first time a Kalashnikov weapon was in a Bond film – and was used prominently in the 1984 films Red Dawn and Rambo: First Blood Part II. By the mid-1980s as noted by the above films the AK-47 was part of the American lexicon, where it has remained ever since. Cover image from Sputniknews.com. Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of AK-47 rifle, dead at 94 | Toronto Star World Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of AK-47 rifle, dead at 94 Mikhail Kalashnikov, whose work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalized in the name of the world’s most popular firearm, died Monday at the age of 94. Mikhail Kalashnikov, a Russian firearms producer, poses with his rifle during a news conference in Moscow in 2006 photo. Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 assault rifle, which has killed more people than any other firearm in the world.

(SERGEI KARPUKHIN / REUTERS) By Jim HeintzThe Associated Press Mon., Dec. 23, 2013 MOSCOW—Mikhail Kalashnikov, whose work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalized in the name of the world’s most popular firearm, died Monday at the age of 94. Kalashnikov once aspired to design farm equipment. But even though his most famous invention — the AK-47 assault rifle — sowed havoc instead of crops, he often said he felt personally untroubled by his contribution to bloodshed. “I sleep well. It’s the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence,” he said in 2007. Kalashnikov died in a hospital in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic where he lived, said Viktor Chulkov, a spokesman for the republic’s president. He did not give a cause of death. Kalashnikov had been hospitalized for the past month with unspecified health problems.

The AK-47 — “Avtomat Kalashnikov” and the year it went into production — is the world’s most popular firearm, favoured by guerrillas, terrorists and the soldiers of many armies. An estimated 100 million guns are spread worldwide. Article Continued Below Though it isn’t especially accurate, its ruggedness and simplicity are exemplary: it performs in sandy or wet conditions that jam more sophisticated weapons such as the U.S. M-16. “During the Vietnam war, American soldiers would throw away their M-16s to grab AK-47s and bullets for it from dead Vietnamese soldiers,” Kalashnikov said in July 2007 at a ceremony marking the rifle’s 60th anniversary. The weapon’s suitability for jungle and desert fighting made it nearly ideal for the Third World insurgents backed by the Soviet Union, and Moscow not only distributed the AK-47 widely but also licensed its production in some 30 other countries. The gun’s status among revolutionaries and national-liberation struggles is enshrined on the flag of Mozambique. Kalashnikov, born into a peasant family in Siberia, began his working life as a railroad clerk.

After he joined the Red Army in 1938, he began to show mechanical flair by inventing several modifications for Soviet tanks. The moment that firmly set his course was in the 1941 battle of Bryansk against Nazi forces, when a shell hit his tank. Recovering from wounds in the hospital, Kalashnikov brooded about the superior automatic rifles he’d seen the Nazis deploy; his rough ideas and revisions bore fruit five years later. “Blame the Nazi Germans for making me become a gun designer,” said Kalashnikov. “I always wanted to construct agricultural machinery.” In 2007, President Vladimir Putin praised him, saying “The Kalashnikov rifle is a symbol of the creative genius of our people.” Over his career, he was decorated with numerous honours, including the Hero of Socialist Labor and Order of Lenin and Stalin Prize. But because his invention was never patented, he didn’t get rich off royalties. “At that time in our country patenting inventions wasn’t an issue. We worked for Socialist society, for the good of the people, which I never regret,” he once said.

Kalashnikov continued working into his late 80s as chief designer of the Izmash company that first built the AK-47. He also travelled the world helping Russia negotiate new arms deals, and he wrote books on his life, about arms and about youth education. “After the collapse of the great and mighty Soviet Union so much crap has been imposed on us, especially on the younger generation,” he said. “I wrote six books to help them find their way in life.” He said he was proud of his bronze bust installed in his native village of Kurya in the Siberian region of Altai. He said newlyweds bring flowers to the bust. “They whisper ‘Uncle Misha, wish us happiness and healthy kids,’” he said.

“What other gun designer can boast of that?” MORE: Mikhail Kalashnikov Dead: Inventor Of World's Most Popular Firearm Dies At 94 | The Huffington Post Mikhail Kalashnikov Dead: Inventor Of World's Most Popular Firearm Dies At 94 12/23/2013 11:34 am ET | Updated Jan 23, 2014 2.4k NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA via Getty Images Agence France-Presse reports Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the famed AK-47 rife, has died at the age of 94: #BREAKING : Russia's Kalashnikov, designer of AK-47, dies: reports — Agence France-Presse (@AFP) December 23, 2013 RT reports the Russian hero had been in intensive care since Nov. 17 in Izhevsk, Russia, where his famous weapon is produced. In recent years, Kalashnikov had suffered from heart troubles.

More from the Associated Press: MOSCOW (AP) — Mikhail Kalashnikov, whose work as a weapons designer for the Soviet Union is immortalized in the name of the world's most popular firearm, died Monday at the age of 94. Kalashnikov once aspired to design farm equipment. But even though his most famous invention — the AK-47 assault rifle — sowed havoc instead of crops, he often said he felt personally untroubled by his contribution to bloodshed. "I sleep well. It's the politicians who are to blame for failing to come to an agreement and resorting to violence," he said in 2007. Kalashnikov died in a hospital in Izhevsk, the capital of the Udmurtia republic where he lived, said Viktor Chulkov, a spokesman for the republic's president. He did not give a cause of death. Kalashnikov had been hospitalized for the past month with unspecified health problems. The AK-47 — "Avtomat Kalashnikov" and the year it went into production — is the world's most popular firearm, favored by guerrillas, terrorists and the soldiers of many armies.

An estimated 100 million guns are spread worldwide. Though it isn't especially accurate, its ruggedness and simplicity are exemplary: it performs in sandy or wet conditions that jam more sophisticated weapons such as the U.S. M-16. "During the Vietnam war, American soldiers would throw away their M-16s to grab AK-47s and bullets for it from dead Vietnamese soldiers," Kalashnikov said in July 2007 at a ceremony marking the rifle's 60th anniversary. The weapon's suitability for jungle and desert fighting made it nearly ideal for the Third World insurgents backed by the Soviet Union, and Moscow not only distributed the AK-47 widely but also licensed its production in some 30 other countries. The gun's status among revolutionaries and national-liberation struggles is enshrined on the flag of Mozambique. Kalashnikov, born into a peasant family in Siberia, began his working life as a railroad clerk. After he joined the Red Army in 1938, he began to show mechanical flair by inventing several modifications for Soviet tanks.

The moment that firmly set his course was in the 1941 battle of Bryansk against Nazi forces, when a shell hit his tank. Recovering from wounds in the hospital, Kalashnikov brooded about the superior automatic rifles he'd seen the Nazis deploy; his rough ideas and revisions bore fruit five years later. "Blame the Nazi Germans for making me become a gun designer," said Kalashnikov. "I always wanted to construct agricultural machinery." In 2007, President Vladimir Putin praised him, saying "The Kalashnikov rifle is a symbol of the creative genius of our people." Over his career, he was decorated with numerous honors, including the Hero of Socialist Labor and Order of Lenin and Stalin Prize. But because his invention was never patented, he didn't get rich off royalties. "At that time in our country patenting inventions wasn't an issue. We worked for Socialist society, for the good of the people, which I never regret," he once said. Kalashnikov continued working into his late 80s as chief designer of the Izmash company that first built the AK-47.

He also traveled the world helping Russia negotiate new arms deals, and he wrote books on his life, about arms and about youth education. "After the collapse of the great and mighty Soviet Union so much crap has been imposed on us, especially on the younger generation," he said. "I wrote six books to help them find their way in life." He said he was proud of his bronze bust installed in his native village of Kurya in the Siberian region of Altai. He said newlyweds bring flowers to the bust. "They whisper 'Uncle Misha, wish us happiness and healthy kids,'" he said. "What other gun designer can boast of that?" Also on HuffPost:

Question: Which is the only country to feature the image of a Kalashnikov rifle on its national flag?
Answer: Mozambique